Bilawal blames PML-N for ‘stealing mandate’ in AJK votes, seeks inquiry
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Tuesday accused the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of benefitting from alleged rigging in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly elections, demanding a judicial probe into reported polling-day incidents.
Addressing a PPP workers convention in Muzaffarabad, Bilawal thanked the voters in Mirpur for voting for his party and noted that the PPP had earned a majority of votes in various constituencies. Now it’s up to the party to preserve the popular mandate, he said.
According to unofficial and tentative results of first phase of AJK Legislative Assembly elections, PML-N won nine out of 13 constituencies in Mirpur while PPP got four seats.
Bilawal questioned the fairness of the voting process and stated the results did not reflect the public’s aspirations in certain areas. He questioned PPP leader Ch Muhammad Yasin how the senior politician could lose in his own village despite having considerable local backing.
Bilawal said the incidents at polling stations have marred the election process and said that attacks were reported at roughly 30 polling stations despite security precautions. “If it was isolated incidents it would be one thing,” he said, “but when the volume of what’s been reported is so great it raises serious questions.”
The PPP leader stated further that the phased elections had created chances for electoral manipulation. He said the acts were designed to affect the outcome of the polls, although electoral authorities have not validated such claims.
Bilawal remarked that the national institutions should focus on the national interest of Pakistan instead of the benefit of any political party, criticising the approach of the federal government. He also raised worry over internet shutdowns during the election time, saying such tactics left an adverse picture about democratic procedures in Azad Kashmir.
“Election irregularities are nothing new. Political issues in Azad Kashmir should be resolved through constitutional and democratic means,” Bilawal stated. He claimed political discourse may have saved violence and loss of life, referring to prior instability in the area.
Bilawal requested free, fair and transparent elections and also demanded constitution of an impartial inquiry body to probe the reported irregularities during the electoral process.
He also attacked a boycott effort and accused the political opponents of misleading their own leaders. Bilawal appealed on people to participate in the democratic process by voting irrespective of the political party they belonged to.
PPP chairman said he would preserve the party’s electoral mandate and stated that the elections to be held in Muzaffarabad on August 2 would be held without permitting any attempt to influence the public’s vote.